H—9

At the request of the beneficiary, family benefit may be credited to the mother's Post Office Savings-bank account or diverted to the Commissioner of Taxes for the purpose of meeting income-tax payments of the beneficiary or her husband. The number of family benefits being paid to Post Office Savings-bank accounts increased from 74,534 at 31st March, 1949, to 80,636 at 31st March, 1950, and the amount so lodged increased from £3,705,398 last year to £4,111,994 for the year ended 31st March, 1950. The number of benefits wholly or partly diverted in payment of income-tax continued to fall from 4,737 benefits last to 3,825 at 31st March, 1950, and the amount paid to the Commissioner of Taxes for the year ended 31st March, 1950, was £175,945, compared with £198.874 for the previous year.

Table 6—Family Benefit: Number of Benefits According to Size of Families, 31st March, 1949 and 1950

31st March, 1949. 31st March, 1950Total number of children .. 548,330 567,587 The average number of children in respect of whom benefit was paid per family receiving benefit was 2-13 in 1947, 2-14 in 1948, 2-20 in 1949, and 2-22 in 1950. INVALIDS' BENEFITS During the year 907 new benefits were granted, 449 applications declined mainly because medical evidence did not indicate permanent incapacity, and 8,776 existing benefits renewed for a further year. The number of benefits in force decreased by 575, from 10,051 at 31st March, 1949, to 9,476 at 31st March, 1950. The number of dependent wives included in the husband's benefit at 31st March, 1950, was 1,819.

Table 7—Invalids Benefits: Age and Marital Status at Grant of Benefit, Year Ended 31st March, 1950

Expenditure 011 invalids' benefits increased from £1,348,616 for the year ended 31st March, 1949, to £1,397,713 for the year ended 31st March, 1950.

8

dumber of Children Number of Number of Receiving Benefit Benefits, Benefits, in Family. 31st March, 1949. 31st March, 1950. 1 95,681 94,627 2 75,178 78,924 3 41.488 43,576 4 19,741 20,590 5 .. .. 8,586 8,906 6 .. .. .. ! 3,975 4,078 7 2,088 • 2,143 8 1,098 1,178 9 .. .. 531 527 • 10 or more 360 371 Total .. | 248,726 254,920

Separated, Single. Married. Widowed. Divorced, Total. Age. Apart. Males. Females. Males. Females. Males. Females. Males. Females. Males. Females. 16-19 65 63 65 63 20-29 36 42 12 i 49 42 30-39 24 26 26 3 3 I 3 51 35 40-49 32 25 53 7 6 7 8 99 39 50-59 56 67 250 3 17 22 22 27 345 119 Total 213 223 341 6 24 31 31 38 609 298